Historical Helpings
Pilgrims ate more venison than anything else. This bird was not originally the centerpiece of the 1621 feast
Turkey
In this classic sitcom, Joey becomes a Thanksgiving legend when he eats an entire turkey by himself, wearing maternity pants to finish the job
Friends
This side dish, often topped with melted marshmallows, was originally invented by a marshmallow company as a marketing recipe in 1917
sweet potato casserole
Many families begin their Thanksgiving meal by going around the table and doing this simple ritual.
Saying what they’re thankful for
This modern Thanksgiving tradition, popularized among millennials and Gen Z, celebrates the holiday with friends instead of family which often includes potlucks and cocktails
Friendsgiving
In 1939, this president moved Thanksgiving up one week to extend the holiday shopping season, earning the holiday the temporary nickname “Franksgiving.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
This Thanksgiving event features character balloons like Snoopy, Pikachu, and SpongeBob in front of millions on national TV
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The green bean casserole became a Thanksgiving classic in 1955 thanks to this company’s test kitchen, which created the recipe to promote canned soup
Campbell's
This famous tradition involves snapping a small Y-shaped bone after the meal, with the person holding the larger piece said to receive good luck
Breaking the wishbone
The chemical amino acid in turkey that is often mistakenly blamed for sleepiness
tryptophan
This U.S. president made Thanksgiving a consistent national holiday in 1863, thanks largely to persistent letters from writer Sarah Josepha Hale.
Abraham Lincoln
This show's Thanksgiving episode showcased a local radio promotion ending in chaos when live turkeys are dropped from a helicopter.
WKRP in Cincinnati
This indigenous grain, sometimes called “the original American superfood,” was a centerpiece of early harvest feasts and is still grown in shades of blue, red, and black across the Southwest
Maize
Starting in 1966, this NFL team became the second franchise to host an annual Thanksgiving Day game, creating the modern two-game holiday tradition watched by millions
The Dallas Cowboys
This president made the modern turkey pardon an annual tradition
George H.W Bush
Before Thanksgiving became a fixed holiday, many states celebrated it on different dates. Which lone state held the last non-standard Thanksgiving in 1941, two days after Congress officially set the date as the fourth Thursday in November?
Texas
Every year, millions watch a group prepare a chaotic dinner of popcorn, toast, and jelly beans in this animated Thanksgiving special.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
This fruit was so essential to early New England cooking that Native peoples used it not just for food, but also for dye and medicine
Cranberry
This Thanksgiving-adjacent tradition originated in Philadelphia in the 1950s, when local police used this gloomy nickname to describe the chaos of shoppers flooding the city the day after Thanksgiving
Black Friday
During the Thanksgiving holiday, this airline consistently carries the most passengers in the U.S
American Airlines
This is where the Mayflower initially arrived
Provincetown, Massachusetts
This 1981 hit by The Human League unexpectedly became a Thanksgiving staple thanks to its Thanksgiving-themed 2000s parody about “not being able to cook,” often shared online during the holiday season.
Don’t You Want Me
This Thanksgiving staple became more popular after World War II, when home cooks began preparing it inside the turkey, giving rise to debates over moisture, flavor, and food safety
Stuffing
Sarah Josepha Hale, who campaigned for Thanksgiving to be a national holiday, wrote this famous song
Mary had a little lamb
This creamy Thanksgiving side dish was originally called “southern dressing” when served cold the next day—an early example of rebranding leftovers.
Mashed potatoes